So I’ve mentioned Millie a lot in past posts but I’ve never really described her fully (I’ve only really made her out to be naughty)
Millie is a huge part of my life. She’s my main goal and focus and although I’m often disheartened by her I know deep down it’ll take a lot for my to give up on her. She’s a playful, 15.2hh cob x shire. She’s what I call a “thermal bay” as she her coat changes from chestnut bay to dark bay depending on the weather. 
Before Millie I had only ever ridden riding school horses, I couldn’t sit to canter and I have no idea what contact was.
So you’ll probably think I’m a total idiot when I say we got Millie three years ago when she was only six. You read that right, six years old. But my mum and I fell head over heal for her. We travelled four hours to view her and we know in the time it took her to pop her head over the stable door that we were going to have her. My mum and I exchanged glances and she told me to “keep a level head, just because she’s gorgeous doesn’t mean she’s right for us”
Looking back, we didn’t keep a level head, she wasn’t right for us at all.
My mum had been out of the horsey world for a few years and I knew next to nothing about horses. So essentially we were two total novices about to bring on a youngster. We were totally bonkers.
But Millie (her original stable name was Mimi which was THE first thing we changed) was a gorgeous, bare footed playful loveable lump who you just couldn’t not love.
Then you’d sit on her, she didn’t know what anything meant. All leg aids meant go faster and she had zero bend in her.
As we pushed her, she pushed us. She napped, ran backwards, bucks, bunny hops, flying bucks until our confidence was crushed. My mums especially with the motive “I’m too young to bounce” we had people out to school her, we had her checked for any pain, teeth, back, physios what seemed like every few days.
Gradually Millie improved and my riding came on leaps and bounds. But it has still taken three years to sit to her powerhouse canter.
My goal is to jump, it’s what I want to do. It’s definitely what Millie wants. It’s what we will eventually do.
But she’s quick, very quick and equally as strong so getting her strides it’s still a problem.
But in the spring something awful happens, she’s dangerous to ride. Four weeks ago she put me through the wooden fencing around the riding arena. Luckily I was only scraped and bruised.
We are currently toying with regumate. Supplement don’t touch her. She’s marey all year around but worse and dangerous in the spring/ early summer. Cats have said it looks like she has mothered a foal which explains a lot -she thinks she should be out sh*gging not doing canter poles-. She also shows a few signs of pain, in canter it feels like she’s trying to run from something despite all the bit changes you can imagine (the end of the saddle sits right near her ovaries and canter will put the most pressure on that area), leaning back when she naps makes her worse and brushing and towel drying her in that area makes her angry.
Her vaccinations are due Monday so I will keep you updated on our next steps.
But with Millie it’s not all doom and gloom, I love her and spending time with her. And we play, a lot. She chases me, “paws” at me when I sit in her field, and lunging her is more play than work as she runs in towards me and I run to her and just before to collide she playfully runs away.
But she is much bigger than me and playing can end in pain (well for me anyway)
My face at the end is shock and concern because she HATES hurting me.
If you have any tips for us please leave a comment, everything is welcome!
Catch ya laters,
Eloise💕
eloisedeyx 